Paper-clip.



F. .I. KLEIN.

PAPER CLIP. APPLICATION FILED-JULY 23. i914.

1,218,276. 7 Patented Mar. 6,1917.

Inventor, Witnesses:

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FRED J. KLEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PAPEB CLIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 191".

Application filed July 23,1914. Serial N 0. 852,738.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED J. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, in the city of NewYork, county of Bronx, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Paper- Clips, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates particularly to devices for holding sheets and padsof paper, but it is applicable to other purposes wherein objects requireto be similarly clamped.

The object of this invention is to provide a reliable paper-clip ofsimple and inexpensive construction, which will admit objects of aconsiderable range of thickness and clamp them with the same pressureregardless of the thickness, in which the clamping pressure may bevaried, in which the jaws can be released so as to be freely and widelyopened, and in which the method of operation will be apparent so thatinstruction in its use will not be necessary.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings which forms a part of thisapplication- Figure 1 is an isometric view of a clip embodying myinvention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with one hingelug broken away, showing theclip open, and v Fig. 3 is a similar viewshowing the clip closed.

The clip comprises a base plate 1 forming one jaw of the clip.Hinge-lugs 2 2 are carried by the base plate, and a hinge-pin 3 connectsthe lugs. A strip of spring sheet metal is folded about midway aroundthe hinge-pin leaving the two ends projecting, the lower end having adownwardly bent lip to form the upper jaw 4 of the clip, and the upperend being formed into a jaw-handle 5 for operating the clip. The springsheet is slotted through the portion which folds around the hinge-pinand a tongue is left hanging from the end of the slot in the portionforming the j aw-handle to form a pawl 6 for engagement with a ratchetsegment 7 which lies in the slot and is carried by the base plate andhas the hinge-pin at its center. The end of the pawl normally lies justclear of the ratchet and is sprung down into engagement with the ratchetsegment to lock the jaws when clamping. The pawl is conveniently pressedinto engagement with because it is more convenient to give the thumbplate such a shape as will indicate that it is a part to be presseddown. It is in contact with the jaw-handle when the chp 1s both open andclosed, and the jawhandle belng of spring material serves as a liftingspring for the thumb'plate. Up-

ward movement of the handle and thumbplate away from the upper jaw islimited by a dog 11 on the side of one of the lugs of the thumb-plate,and the jaw is therefore positively lifted by the handle after the pawlhas been disengaged. All of the parts except the hinge-pin, as will beseen, are conveniently formed of sheet metal. The clip is arranged forattachment to a back board 12, but such attachment is not essen tial toits use.

The clip is closed by pressing down on the thumb-plate. This brings theupper jaw down on the material to be clamped. Further depression flexesthe handle and puts the jaw under such tension as is desired and permitsthe lip of the thumb-plate to bear down on the pawl and press it intoengagement with the ratchet, thereby leaving the jaw locked down whenthethumb or hand is removed. The clip is opened by first depressing thehandle of the jaw slightly to relieve the strain on the pawl and allowit to spring out of engagement with the ratchet. Then the aw can belifted by the handle unopposed by any spring.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. A clip comprising a pair of jaws hinged to each other, a handle ofspring sheet metal having an elastic connection with one of the jaws, apawl carried by the handle, and a ratchet carriedby' the other jaw, thepawl and ratchet being engageable to hold the clip in its clampingposition, substantially as described.

2. A clip comprising a pair of jaws hinged to each other, a hinge pin, ahandle of spring sheet metal folded around the hinge pin and forming anelastic connection between the handle and one of the jaws, a pawlcarried by the handle, and a ratchet carried by the other jaw, the pawland ratchet being engageable to hold the clip in its clamping position,substantially as described. e

3. A clip comprising a base plate having a jaw, a hinge pin carried bythe base plate, a strip of spring sheet metal folded around the hingepin and forming a jaw and a handle therefor, a ratchet carried by thebase plate, and a pawl carried by the handle, the pawl and ratchet beingengageable to hold the clip in its clamping position, substantially asdescribed.

4. A clip comprising a pair of jaws hinged to each other, a handle forone of the jaws elastically connected thereto, a pawl carried by thehandle, a ratchet carried by the other jaw, and a thumb plate extendingover the handle whereby when the jaws are pressed together by the thumbplate the day of July, 1914-.

g, V FRED J. KLEIN. Witnesses:

SAMUEL W. BALCH, GEORGE H. GILMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

